Here are some tips to get your money back if you are scammed in any way. There are different ways to for you to get your money which all depends on how you paid in the first place.
If you paid via debit card you may have the opportunity to get your money back through a chargeback scheme with your bank. However, please note that the chargeback scheme is not legally binding, it is part of scheme rules which participating banks subscribe to. The same scheme also applies to certain credit card transactions.
If you use a credit card the level of protection you receive is higher and because of this, we would also recommend you make purchases using your credit card. If you believe you have been conned or scammed you can contact your credit card provider and ask them to investigate and ultimately refund the monies back to you. Under section 75 a credit card company is jointly and severally liable for any breach of contract or misrepresentation by a company.
If you are a frequent payer with PayPal then you will be aware that there is PayPal buyer protection, however, you may not be aware that there are some exceptions and time limits when placing a claim, for example some swindlers will set up convincing looking payment forms which gather bank details and in that case, there is no cover through PayPal, this is because PayPal hasn’t actually been involved at all and their details were stolen to set up the page.
There is also the concern of a bank transfer. If you have been caught in a scam that has resulted in you transferring money to someone else’s direct bank account you need to contact your bank without hesitation. They will then try to recover the money when they have been notified. There are some risks with asking the bank to help when this type of incident occurs as they may refuse to offer you a refund or only offer you a proportion. If this happens you can either make a complaint through your bank or in some cases report it to the police. It gets really complicated when making bank transfers so please be cautious and try to make sure that who your purchasing off is legitimate.
If you make a payment using your card and the incorrect amount of money is debited from your card you can make a claim through your bank who will investigate the payment on your card and the amount authorised and take appropriate action.
If you make a wire transfer (i.e MoneyGram or the Western Union) and it ends up being a scam it is notoriously difficult to get your money back so make sure you know what you’re paying for and who you are sending your money too.
There are 1000’s upon 1000’s of scammers out there and the best advice we a TCA can give is try to understand who you are buying off, do your research if you are unsure.
As above there are ways and means to get your money back if you have been duped, but it’d be easier to not do it!
For more information regarding this article or assistance in any other timeshare related issues please contact the TCA on 01908 881058 or email: info@TimeshareConsumerAssociation.org.uk